ISLAMABAD, MAR 20: A notorious Pakistani militant outfit, blamed for countless gun and bomb assaults, declared a three-day ceasefire early Thursday ahead of Eid al-Fitr—mere hours after Pakistan and Afghanistan announced their own temporary halt to intensifying border clashes.
No gunfire erupted, offering the first calm since late February’s flare-up. Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Mohammad Khurasani stated the pause lets people celebrate Ramadan’s end, starting Friday pending the moon sighting.
Allied with but distinct from the Afghan Taliban—who regained power in 2021 amid TTP’s surge in Pakistan attacks—the US- and UN-listed terror group cited Eid observance. Pakistan charges Kabul with harboring TTP chiefs and fighters for cross-border raids; Afghanistan rejects the claims.
The Pak-Afghan truce, mediated by Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Qatar, runs through Monday night—building on their prior October ceasefire amid renewed February hostilities.
